Perryville Gas Storage LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Crowville Salt Dome Storage Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting and Site Visit, 32151-32153 [E9-15898]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 128 / Tuesday, July 7, 2009 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP09–418–000] Perryville Gas Storage LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Crowville Salt Dome Storage Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting and Site Visit June 26, 2009. The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will discuss the environmental impacts of the Crowville Salt Dome Storage Project (Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by Perryville Gas Storage LLC (Perryville) in Franklin and Richland Parishes, Louisiana. This EA will be used by the Commission in its decisionmaking process to determine whether the project is in the public convenience and necessity. This notice announces the opening of the scoping process we will use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the project. Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping period will close on July 27, 2009. Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further details on how to submit written comments are provided in the public participation section of this notice. In lieu of sending written comments, we invite you to attend the public scoping meeting we have scheduled as follows: FERC Public Scoping Meeting, Crowville Salt Dome Storage Project, Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 7 p.m., Crockett Point Baptist Church, 139 Crockett Point Church Road, Winnsboro, Louisiana 71295. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend the meeting and to present comments on the environmental issues they believe should be addressed in the EA. A transcript of the meeting will be generated so that your comments will be accurately recorded. In addition, on July 14, 2009, the FERC staff will conduct a public site visit to view the proposed facility locations and pipeline route. Examination will be by automobile and on foot. Representatives of Perryville will be accompanying the FERC staff. All interested parties may attend. Those planning to attend must provide their own transportation and should meet at the Crockett Point Baptist Church at 1 VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:45 Jul 06, 2009 Jkt 217001 p.m., at the address listed above. For additional information, you may contact the Commission’s Office of External Affairs at 1–866–208–FERC (3372). This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, State, and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; parties to this proceeding; and local libraries and newspapers. State and local government representatives are asked to notify their constituents of this proposed project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern. If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. The company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with State law. A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ‘‘An Interstate Natural Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?’’ was attached to the project notice Perryville provided to landowners. This fact sheet addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the use of eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission’s proceedings. It is also available for viewing on the FERC Web site (https://www.ferc.gov). Summary of the Proposed Project Perryville requests authorization to construct, own and operate a new natural gas storage facility in the Crowville Salt Dome, as well as related facilities in Franklin and Richland Parishes, Louisiana. Upon completion of the proposed facilities, the Project would provide a total of 15 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas storage working capacity in two salt caverns, with a maximum injection rate of up to 226 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) and a maximum withdrawal rate of 600 MMcf/d. According to Perryville, its project would provide necessary gas infrastructure, add new competitive storage facilities to the U.S. natural gas market, and support further development of domestic gas production in the Gulf Coast and MidContinent regions. The Crowville Gas Storage Project would consist of the following facilities: PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 32151 • Two 7.5 billion cubic feet (Bcf) working gas capacity natural gas storage caverns connected to 1000 feet of utility corridor for an 8-inch-diameter freshwater pipeline, an 8-inch-diameter brine pipeline, a 14-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline, and a permanent access road; • 2.6 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline to deliver to CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company and 11.8 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline to deliver to Columbia Gulf Transmission; • One 9,500 horsepower compressor station facility and multi-purpose buildings; • Leaching facilities with 0.8 mile of 20-inch-diameter brine pipeline and 14inch-diameter freshwater pipeline connecting to three brine settling ponds; • Two 20-inch-diameter brine disposal pipelines (2.3 miles and 0.9 mile) connecting to five brine disposal well pads; and • About ten access roads, a wareyard, and four freshwater supply wells. The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 1.1 Land Requirements for Construction Construction of the Natural Gas Handling Facilities would disturb about 39 acres, including land for the two storage caverns, the compressor station, a 100-foot-wide utility corridor, leaching plant, and 4 freshwater supply wells. The leaching facilities would disturb an additional 30 acres of land for the brine disposal ponds and brine and water pipelines. Construction of the brine disposal wells would disturb a total of 12.7 acres (2.54 acres for each of 5 wells), while operation of the brine disposal wells would be limited to a total of 1.4 acres (0.28 acre per well). The first pipeline corridor would consist of 2.6 miles of a 150-foot-wide corridor (for two pipelines), while the second corridor would disturb an additional 9.2 miles of 125-foot-wide corridor. The total acreage for construction of the pipelines would be about 188 acres. Following construction, about 88.5 acres would be maintained for 75- and 60-foot-wide permanent pipeline rights-of-way; the remaining acreage would be restored and allowed to revert to former uses. About 10 miles of the proposed pipeline route parallels 1 The appendices referenced in this notice are not being printed in the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at https:// www.ferc.gov using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’ or from the Commission’s Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502–8371. For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice. E:\FR\FM\07JYN1.SGM 07JYN1 32152 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 128 / Tuesday, July 7, 2009 / Notices an existing Columbia Gulf natural gas pipeline right-of-way. The EA Process The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals. This process is referred to as ‘‘scoping’’. The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. All comments received will be considered during the preparation of the EA. In the EA we 2 will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these general headings: • Geology and soils; • Land use; • Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands; • Cultural resources; • Vegetation and wildlife; • Air quality and noise; • Endangered and threatened species; • Hazardous waste; and • Public safety. We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas. Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA. Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be published and mailed to those on our environmental mailing list (see discussion of how to remain on our mailing list on page 6). A comment period will be allotted for review if the EA is published. We will consider all comments on the EA before we make our recommendations to the Commission. To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation section below. With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA. These agencies may choose to 2 ‘‘We’’, ‘‘us’’, and ‘‘our’’ refer to the environmental staff of the Commission’s Office of Energy Projects. VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:45 Jul 06, 2009 Jkt 217001 participate once they have evaluated the proposal relative to their responsibilities. Agencies that would like to request cooperating agency status should follow the instructions for filing comments provided under the Public Participation section of this notice. Public Participation You can make a difference by providing us with your specific comments or concerns about the project. Your comments should focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your written comments are timely and properly recorded, please send in your comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before July 27, 2009. For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to submit your written comments to the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert eFiling staff available to assist you at 202–502–8258 or efiling@ferc.gov. (1) You may file your comments electronically by using the Quick Comment feature, which is located at https://www.ferc.gov under the link called ‘‘Documents and Filings’’. A Quick Comment is an easy method for interested persons to submit text-only comments on a project; (2) You may file your comments electronically by using the ‘‘eFiling’’ feature that is listed under the ‘‘Documents and Filings’’ link. eFiling involves preparing your submission in the same manner as you would if filing on paper, and then saving the file on your computer’s hard drive. You will attach that file to your submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on the links called ‘‘Sign up’’ or ‘‘eRegister’’. You will be asked to select the type of filing you are making. A comment on a particular project is considered a ‘‘Comment on a Filing’’; or (3) You may file your comments with the Commission via mail by sending an original and two copies of your letter to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. In all instances, please reference the project docket number CP09–418–000 with your submission. Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas Branch 2, PJ–11.2. PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Environmental Mailing List An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals, organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the proposed project. This includes all landowners who are potential right-ofway grantors, whose property may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within certain distances of aboveground facilities (as defined in the Commission’s regulations). If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request (appendix 2). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list. Becoming an Intervenor In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want to become an ‘‘intervenor,’’ which is an official party to the Commission’s proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission’s final ruling. An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are included in the User’s Guide under the ‘‘e-filing’’ link on the Commission’s Web site. Additional Information Additional information about the project is available from the Commission’s Office of External Affairs, at 1–866–208–FERC or on the Internet at https://www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Click on the eLibrary link, click on ‘‘General Search’’ and enter the docket number, excluding the last three digits, in the Docket Number field. Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll free at 1–866–208–3676, or for TTY, contact (202)502–8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings. In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with notification of these filings, document summaries and direct links to the documents. Go to https:// www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm. E:\FR\FM\07JYN1.SGM 07JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 128 / Tuesday, July 7, 2009 / Notices Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission’s calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/ EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E9–15898 Filed 7–6–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. NP09–26–000] North American Electric Reliability Corporation; Notice of Filing Regarding Notice of Penalty and Request for Decision on Jurisdiction Issue June 26, 2009. Take notice that on June 24, 2009, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) submitted a Notice of Penalty regarding U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Tulsa District in the Texas Regional Entity region. NERC’s filing includes a discussion of the applicability of mandatory Reliability Standards to the Corps Tulsa District. NERC states that the Corps Tulsa District has challenged NERC’s jurisdiction under section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA). Therefore, NERC requests that the Commission issue a decision on the jurisdictional issue regarding the applicability mandatory Reliability Standards under section 215 of the FPA to the Corps and other Federal agencies. Accordingly, public comment is sought regarding the applicability of mandatory Reliability Standards under section 215 of the FPA to the Corps and other Federal agencies. Any person desiring to intervene or to protest this filing must file in accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211, 385.214). Protests will be considered by the Commission in determining the appropriate action to be taken, but will not serve to make protestants parties to the proceeding. Any person wishing to become a party must file a notice of intervention or motion to intervene, as appropriate. Such notices, motions, or protests must be filed on or before the comment date. On or before the comment date, it is not necessary to serve motions to intervene or protests on persons other than the Applicant. The Commission encourages electronic submission of protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:45 Jul 06, 2009 Jkt 217001 ‘‘eFiling’’ link at https://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically should submit an original and 14 copies of the protest or intervention to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. This filing is accessible on-line at https://www.ferc.gov, using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link and is available for review in the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. There is an ‘‘eSubscription’’ link on the Web site that enables subscribers to receive e-mail notification when a document is added to a subscribed docket(s). For assistance with any FERC Online service, please e-mail FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, or call (866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time on July 24, 2009. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E9–15896 Filed 7–6–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 13442–000] McGinnis, Inc.; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Competing Applications June 26, 2009. On April 29, 2009, McGinnis, Inc. filed an application, pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act (FPA), proposing to study the feasibility of the Robert C. Byrd Hydrokinetic Project No. 13442, to be located on the Ohio River, in Mason County, West Virginia, and Gallia County, Ohio. The proposed Robert C. Byrd Project would be located just downstream of the Robert C. Byrd Lock and Dam in an area of the Ohio River approximately 9,500feet-long and 1,100-feet-wide and would consist of: (1) A single barge suspending up to 10 axial flow turbine generators into the river with a total installed capacity of 350 kilowatts; (2) a new 300 to 8,000-foot-long, 13.5-kV transmission line; and (3) appurtenant facilities. The project would have an estimated average annual generation of 1,533 megawatthours. Applicant Contact: Mr. Bruce D. McGinnis, Sr., P.O. Box 534, 502 Second Street Ext., South Point, Ohio 45680, (740) 377–4391. PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 32153 FERC Contact: Tom Dean, (202) 502– 6041. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, competing applications (without notices of intent), or notices of intent to file competing applications: 60 days from the issuance of this notice. Comments, motions to intervene, notices of intent, and competing applications may be filed electronically via the Internet. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission’s Web site under the ‘‘eFiling’’ link. If unable to be filed electronically, documents may be paperfiled. To paper-file, an original and eight copies should be mailed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. For more information on how to submit these types of filings please go to the Commission’s Web site located at https://www.ferc.gov/filingcomments.asp. More information about this project can be viewed or printed on the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link of the Commission’s Web site at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ elibrary.asp. Enter the docket number (P–13442) in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, call toll-free 1–866–208–3372. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. E9–15897 Filed 7–6–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OECA–2008–0281; FRL–8927–1] Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; NESHAP for Publicly Owned Treatment Works (Renewal), EPA ICR Number 1891.05, OMB Control Number 2060–0428 AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost. E:\FR\FM\07JYN1.SGM 07JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 7, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32151-32153]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15898]



[[Page 32151]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP09-418-000]


Perryville Gas Storage LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Crowville Salt Dome Storage 
Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of 
Public Scoping Meeting and Site Visit

June 26, 2009.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of the Crowville Salt Dome Storage 
Project (Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by 
Perryville Gas Storage LLC (Perryville) in Franklin and Richland 
Parishes, Louisiana. This EA will be used by the Commission in its 
decisionmaking process to determine whether the project is in the 
public convenience and necessity.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process we will 
use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the 
project. Your input will help the Commission staff determine what 
issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping 
period will close on July 27, 2009.
    Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are provided in the public 
participation section of this notice. In lieu of sending written 
comments, we invite you to attend the public scoping meeting we have 
scheduled as follows: FERC Public Scoping Meeting, Crowville Salt Dome 
Storage Project, Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 7 p.m., Crockett Point Baptist 
Church, 139 Crockett Point Church Road, Winnsboro, Louisiana 71295.
    Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend the 
meeting and to present comments on the environmental issues they 
believe should be addressed in the EA. A transcript of the meeting will 
be generated so that your comments will be accurately recorded.
    In addition, on July 14, 2009, the FERC staff will conduct a public 
site visit to view the proposed facility locations and pipeline route. 
Examination will be by automobile and on foot. Representatives of 
Perryville will be accompanying the FERC staff. All interested parties 
may attend. Those planning to attend must provide their own 
transportation and should meet at the Crockett Point Baptist Church at 
1 p.m., at the address listed above. For additional information, you 
may contact the Commission's Office of External Affairs at 1-866-208-
FERC (3372).
    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; Federal, State, 
and local government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; 
parties to this proceeding; and local libraries and newspapers. State 
and local government representatives are asked to notify their 
constituents of this proposed project and encourage them to comment on 
their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an 
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities. 
The company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. 
However, if the project is approved by the Commission, that approval 
conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement 
negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline company could 
initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with State law.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility On My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' was attached to the 
project notice Perryville provided to landowners. This fact sheet 
addresses a number of typically asked questions, including the use of 
eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings. 
It is also available for viewing on the FERC Web site (https://www.ferc.gov).

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Perryville requests authorization to construct, own and operate a 
new natural gas storage facility in the Crowville Salt Dome, as well as 
related facilities in Franklin and Richland Parishes, Louisiana. Upon 
completion of the proposed facilities, the Project would provide a 
total of 15 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas storage working 
capacity in two salt caverns, with a maximum injection rate of up to 
226 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) and a maximum withdrawal rate 
of 600 MMcf/d.
    According to Perryville, its project would provide necessary gas 
infrastructure, add new competitive storage facilities to the U.S. 
natural gas market, and support further development of domestic gas 
production in the Gulf Coast and Mid-Continent regions.
    The Crowville Gas Storage Project would consist of the following 
facilities:
     Two 7.5 billion cubic feet (Bcf) working gas capacity 
natural gas storage caverns connected to 1000 feet of utility corridor 
for an 8-inch-diameter freshwater pipeline, an 8-inch-diameter brine 
pipeline, a 14-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline, and a permanent 
access road;
     2.6 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline to deliver to 
CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company and 11.8 miles of 36-inch-
diameter pipeline to deliver to Columbia Gulf Transmission;
     One 9,500 horsepower compressor station facility and 
multi-purpose buildings;
     Leaching facilities with 0.8 mile of 20-inch-diameter 
brine pipeline and 14-inch-diameter freshwater pipeline connecting to 
three brine settling ponds;
     Two 20-inch-diameter brine disposal pipelines (2.3 miles 
and 0.9 mile) connecting to five brine disposal well pads; and
     About ten access roads, a wareyard, and four freshwater 
supply wells.
    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to 
all those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at 
https://www.ferc.gov using the link called ``eLibrary'' or from the 
Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on 
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the Natural Gas Handling Facilities would disturb 
about 39 acres, including land for the two storage caverns, the 
compressor station, a 100-foot-wide utility corridor, leaching plant, 
and 4 freshwater supply wells. The leaching facilities would disturb an 
additional 30 acres of land for the brine disposal ponds and brine and 
water pipelines. Construction of the brine disposal wells would disturb 
a total of 12.7 acres (2.54 acres for each of 5 wells), while operation 
of the brine disposal wells would be limited to a total of 1.4 acres 
(0.28 acre per well).
    The first pipeline corridor would consist of 2.6 miles of a 150-
foot-wide corridor (for two pipelines), while the second corridor would 
disturb an additional 9.2 miles of 125-foot-wide corridor. The total 
acreage for construction of the pipelines would be about 188 acres. 
Following construction, about 88.5 acres would be maintained for 75- 
and 60-foot-wide permanent pipeline rights-of-way; the remaining 
acreage would be restored and allowed to revert to former uses. About 
10 miles of the proposed pipeline route parallels

[[Page 32152]]

an existing Columbia Gulf natural gas pipeline right-of-way.

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could 
result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a 
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us 
to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals. 
This process is referred to as ``scoping''. The main goal of the 
scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on the important 
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public 
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. All comments 
received will be considered during the preparation of the EA.
    In the EA we \2\ will discuss impacts that could occur as a result 
of the construction and operation of the proposed project under these 
general headings:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects.
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     Geology and soils;
     Land use;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Cultural resources;
     Vegetation and wildlife;
     Air quality and noise;
     Endangered and threatened species;
     Hazardous waste; and
     Public safety.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project 
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen 
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA. 
Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA 
may be published and mailed to those on our environmental mailing list 
(see discussion of how to remain on our mailing list on page 6). A 
comment period will be allotted for review if the EA is published. We 
will consider all comments on the EA before we make our recommendations 
to the Commission. To ensure your comments are considered, please 
carefully follow the instructions in the Public Participation section 
below.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction and/or 
special expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally 
cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA. These agencies may 
choose to participate once they have evaluated the proposal relative to 
their responsibilities. Agencies that would like to request cooperating 
agency status should follow the instructions for filing comments 
provided under the Public Participation section of this notice.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. Your comments should focus on 
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and 
measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific 
your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your 
written comments are timely and properly recorded, please send in your 
comments so that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before 
July 27, 2009.
    For your convenience, there are three methods which you can use to 
submit your written comments to the Commission. The Commission 
encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert eFiling staff 
available to assist you at 202-502-8258 or efiling@ferc.gov.
    (1) You may file your comments electronically by using the Quick 
Comment feature, which is located at https://www.ferc.gov under the link 
called ``Documents and Filings''. A Quick Comment is an easy method for 
interested persons to submit text-only comments on a project;
    (2) You may file your comments electronically by using the 
``eFiling'' feature that is listed under the ``Documents and Filings'' 
link. eFiling involves preparing your submission in the same manner as 
you would if filing on paper, and then saving the file on your 
computer's hard drive. You will attach that file to your submission. 
New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on the links 
called ``Sign up'' or ``eRegister''. You will be asked to select the 
type of filing you are making. A comment on a particular project is 
considered a ``Comment on a Filing''; or
    (3) You may file your comments with the Commission via mail by 
sending an original and two copies of your letter to: Kimberly D. Bose, 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
    In all instances, please reference the project docket number CP09-
418-000 with your submission. Label one copy of the comments for the 
attention of Gas Branch 2, PJ-11.2.

Environmental Mailing List

    An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals, 
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially 
affected by the proposed project. This includes all landowners who are 
potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily 
for project purposes, or who own homes within certain distances of 
aboveground facilities (as defined in the Commission's regulations).
    If you do not want to send comments at this time but still want to 
remain on our mailing list, please return the Information Request 
(appendix 2). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be 
taken off the mailing list.

Becoming an Intervenor

    In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want 
to become an ``intervenor,'' which is an official party to the 
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the 
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard 
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. 
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a 
request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are 
included in the User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the 
Commission's Web site.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the 
Internet at https://www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' link. Click on 
the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket 
number, excluding the last three digits, in the Docket Number field. Be 
sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, 
please contact FERC Online Support at FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or 
toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202)502-8659. The 
eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of formal documents 
issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called 
eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances 
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time 
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with 
notification of these filings, document summaries and direct links to 
the documents. Go to https://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.

[[Page 32153]]

    Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the 
Commission's calendar located at https://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-15898 Filed 7-6-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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